Motor control for awning apparatus



:fw arg April 16, 1957 J. J. COHN 2,789,263

MOTOR CONTROL FOR AWNING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9, 1954r 2 Sheets-Sheet lIN VEN TOR.

April 16, 1957 J. J. coHN 2,789,263

MOTOR CONTROL FOR AwNING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 9, 1954 2 sheets-sheet 2cl/RRf/vr C Y san/Ly 70 l y IN V EN TOR. rjcp/ rj.- C/U? United StatesPatent MOTOR CONTROL FOR AWNING APPARATUS `loseph J. Cohn, Chicago, Ill.Application August 9, 1954, Serial No. 448,527

1 Claim. (Cl. S18-207) This invention relates generally to an awningapparatus, and more particularly to a novel electrically driven rotatingdevice having remote control means for effecting elevating and loweringof an awning or the like.

l have illustrated my electrically driven rotating device in operativeassociation with an awning apparatus of the type which ordinarilyrequires the operator to secure one end of an elongated, detachablyremoval crank or arm to a hook means which is suitably geared to one endof the awning roller. Such manually operated awning arrangements requirethe operator to actuate the elevating or lowering of the awning from aposition outside the building or structure upon which the awning ismounted. Although power operated awnings have been employed to avoid theineliiciencies and inconveniences of manually operated awnings, suchdevices have been complex and costly, and not adapted to convenientattachment to eX- isting manual installations.

it is a primary object of the present invention, therefore, to providean electrically driven power device of simple design and constructionwhich is adapted to be readily attached to and coordinated with amanually operated awning apparatus or the like, for effecting mechanicalmovement thereof in an automatic and controlled manner.

It is another object of this invention to provide a novel remote controlunit for regulating the movement of awnings, shades, jalousies, or thelike, by means of an electril cally driven power device.

It is a further object vto provide novel automatic power means foreffecting controlled movement of an awning apparatus or the like,including a high torque, reversible capacitor type electric motor.

It is still another object to provide a novel remote control unit forthe mechanical drive unit of a power actuated awning apparatus,including a step-down transformer providing low operating voltage andpower line isolation for the drive unit.

It is still a further object to provide a remote control unit of theaforesaid type, inclu-ding novel signal light means arranged in thecontrol circuit so as to be automatically energized at the endof travelor movement of the awning apparatus.

With these and other objects in View, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of myawning apparatus whereby the objects contemplated are obtained ashereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims andillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an awning having the electricallydriven rotating mechanism of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic side elevational view, partly incross-section through the supporting wall, showing the awning apparatusillustrated in Figure l;

'Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail view, onan enlarged` scale, showingthe mechanical operating mechanism of my awning rotating apparatus;

l CC

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view, on an enlarged scale, showing themanner in which my awning rotating apparatus is mounted on thesupporting wall;

Figure 5 is a top plan view, partly in cross section, showing theinterior details of the control unit for my awning apparatus;

Figure 6 is a front elevational view, broken away and in cross-section,of the control unit shown in Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a electric wiring diagram of the control circuit for myawning apparatus.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, I have shown in Figure la conventional awning 10 having a movably mounted frame including aroller 12, a weight bar 14 and a position bar 16 pivotally secured as at18 to a supporting wall 20. One end of the roller 12 is journaled in abearing box 22 which is rigidly secured to the supporting wall 20. Theouter end of the roller 12 is journaled in a combined bearing andreduction gear box 24, which is also rigidly secure-d to the supportingwall 20.

Although l have shown a movable awning construction of the conventionalroller and gear box type for the purpose of illustrating my invention inoperatively installed relation, it will be understood that my powerdrive and control units may be adapted for use with other types ofawning installations and the like. For example, the output of myrotating drive mechanism may be utilized to rotate a pulley for drawingcord-pulls or winding ropes. Also, suitable gearing may be employed foroperatively connecting my rotating drive mechanism to the axes ofrotation of jalousies or slats for effecting rotation of pivotalmovement thereof.

In the form illustrated, the awning roller 12 is power driven by anawning rotor unit 26 which is operatively connected to the gear box 24and secured to the wall 2), The rotor unit 26 is electrically driven,and may be manually actuated and regulated from a remotely positionedcontrol unit 28. As illustrated in Figure 2, the control unit 2S may bemounted on the interior side of the supporting wall 20. It will beunderstood that the control may be positioned or mounted at anyconvenient location remote from the rotor unit 26 and awning 1G.

The bearing and reduction gear box 24 comprises a housing or casing 30having mounting flanges 32 extending outwardly therefrom. Mounting bolts34 cooperate with the mounting flanges 32 to effect attachment to' the'supporting wall 20. The shaft end of the roller 12 extends through aside wall of the housing 30 and terminates in a roller bevel gear 36. Anupper drive shaft 40v extends through the bottom wall of the housing 30and terminates in a drive bevel gear 38. Bearing means 42 are providedfor rotatably supporting the shaft end of the roller 12 and the shaft40. The size of the bevel gears 36 and 38 may be suitably selected toobtain any desired gear ratio for effecting rotation of the awningroller 12 at a desired predetermined speed.

The awning rotor unit 26 comprises a housing or casing 44. Preferably,the housing 44 is of'weather-tight die cast construction. An electricmotor 46 is rigidly mounted to a side wall of the housing 44 by means ofbolts 48. The shaft of the motor terminates in a worm gear 50 whichmeshes with a large wheelI gear 52 carried by a drive shaft 54,rotatably supported in upper and lower bearings 55 and 56. An electricterminal panel 58 is provided for attaching suitable electrical wiring.The upper drive shaft 40 of the gear boX 24 and the lower drive shaft 54of the awning rotor unit 26 are xedly connected by means of a exiblecoupling member 60.

As seen in Figure 4, a mounting bracket 27 may be secured to the topwall of the housing 44 and attached by means ofthe mounting bolts34,'together with thel anges 32 of the gear box 24, to the supportingwall 20.

Since the rotor unit 26 is secured to the gear box 24 by means of thecoupling 60, it is not necessary for reasons of support alone topositively mount the unit 26 to the wall 20 by means of the bracket 27.In order to preclude rotation of the unit 26 relative to the gear box24, and elfectively transmit the Vrotary power of the motor 46 to theawning roller i2, the bracket 27 is necessary. As an alternativesimplied manner of mounting, the housing 44 may be merely provided ateach side of the casing 44 with outwardly extending arm elements adaptedto engage the wall 2t) in the manner of an outrigger and thereby preventrotation of the unit 26 in either direction of motor rotation.

The control unit 28 comprises a housing or casing 62, preferably havinga metal base or bottom wall and a plastic cover unit. A transformer 64is rigidly secured to the bottom wall of the housing 62. A capacitor 66is :also rigidly secured to and supported by the bottom Wall. A terminalpanel 6@ is provided at the rear side wall of the housing 62 forattachment of suitable electrical wiring. A manual switch 70 is providedin outwardly extending relation on a front panel of the housing 62. Asignal lamp 72 is also provided in a readily visible position on thefront panel of the housing 62.

Referring now to Figure 7 of the drawing I have illustrateddiagrammatically the electric control circuit for my awning apparatus.The eld coils of the motor 46 are shown generally at 74. The terminalpanels 58 and 68 of the awning rotor unit 26 and the control unit 2S,respectively, are each indicated as having three terminal connectionsnumbered 1, 2 and 3 for purposes of illustration. A conductor cable isindicated by dotted lines at 76 to represent the conventional insulatedsheath surrounding a bundle of conductor wires interconnecting the pairsof terminals i, 2 and 3. The conductor cable 76, in a typicalinstallation, will have its three conductor wires each secured at itsone end to the terminals 1, 2 and 3 of the terminal panel 58 of theawning rotor unit 26, at the exterior side of the mounting wall 20. Asuitable opening extending through the wall 20 will permit the cable 76to be extended therethrough so that the three conductor wires may eachbe secured at its other end to the terminals 1, 2 and 3 of the terminalpanel 68 of the control unit 2S, at the interior side of the mountingwall 20 or at any convenient remote location.

The manual switch 79 is of the momentary contact, double-pole,double-throw type, as -diagrammatically represented in Figure 7. Thetransformer 64, capacitor 66, signal light 72, and a suitable supply ofalternating current are also indicated in Figure 7 in a diagrammaticmanner.

The operation of my awning apparatus is as follows. The momentarycontact switch 70 is normally centered in conventional manner bysuitable spring biasing means to a neutral or open position. Assumingthat it is desirable to elevate the awning, the switch 70 may bemanually thrown and held by the operator in an up position, as shown inFigure 6. It will be apparent from Figure 7 that a closing of the switch70 to an up position will serve to complete a power circuit from oneside of the stepdown windings of the transformer 64 by a iirst line ofcurrent tlow through the capacitor 66 and terminals 2-2 to one of thecoils of the motor field, by a second line of current flow around thecapacitor 66 and through the terminals :3--3 to the other coil of themotor yiiel'd, and from the other side of the step-'down windingsthrough the signal light 72 and terminals 1 1 to both of the coils ofthe motor eld. At the same time, a current supply circuit through thehigh voltage windings of the transformer 64, thereby providing power tothe step-down windings thereof, will be completed.

In a typical installation, thev step-down transformer 64 will supply avoltage of about 3iivolts' to the motor circuit. In this' manner, `arelatively low operating volt- L age is employed, thereby providingpower line isolation for the mechanical drive unit.

By means of the capacitor 66 in circuit with the motor 46, I provide acapacitor-type motor having a starting torque which is considerablygreater than the usual splitphase motor of the same rating. Thedirection of rotation of the motor 74 is readily reversed by throwingthe switch 7i) to one position or the other. it will be apparent thatthe capacitor 66 will be in series with one or the other of the coils ofthe motor d6, depending on the direction in which the switch 70 isthrown to complete the motor circuit. In this way, the capacitor 66 maybe employed to effect .a phase dierence between the coils of the motor,and the direction of current lead will be dependent upon the particularcoil with which the capacitor 66 is in series. The motor is therebyrotated in a desired direction and readily reversed by closing theswitch 7i? in a corresponding direction.

It will be apparent that as the motor rotates the worm gear 50 willdrive the wheel gear 52 and thereby effect rotation of the lower andupper shafts 54 and ab. This serves to effect rotation of the drivebevel gear 3B, and in turn the roller bevel gear 36. In this manner, theroller shaft 12 is rotated. The direction of rotation of the rollershaft 12, and therefore the elevating or lowering of the awning 1i),will be determined by the direction of rotation of the rotor shaft ofthe motor. This in turn is controlled in the manner described by switch7i).

Assuming that the switch 7i? has been held by the operator in an upposition for a sufficient time to permit the mechanical drive mechanismto eifect full elevation of the awning lit, the various gear and shaftelements of the awning rotor unit 26 and gear box 24 will iocl; in alimiting position because of the inability of the awning roller i2 to berotated further. When the rotor of the motor 46 is thus locked, therewill be a substantially increased current drain by the motor. The signallight 72 is selected so that such increased current :dow through themotor circuit will be sufficient to energize the bulb and effect alighting thereof. Lighting of the signal light 72 in this manner servesto indicate to the operator that the awning has been fully elevated. itwill be apparent that full lowering of the awning will similarly operateto eifect energizing of the signal light The provision of a signal lightin the control circuit of my awning apparatus, in the novel mannerdisclosed, provides an automatic and immediately responsive signal meansfor indicating the full limiting positions of the awning. In lthismanner, the operator may manually regulate the positioning of the awningfrom a remote location with immediate knowledge of the arrival of theawning at a limiting position of full lowering or full elevation.

it will be apparent from the circuit diagram of Figure 7 that the switchsections of my double-pole, double-throw switch are gauged so as tosupply power to the system only when the switch has been thrown to oneof its closed positions. It is an important feature that the switch 7i?be of the momentary contact type so that the system is operative onlywhiie the switch is positively held closed by the operator. if releasedor left unattended, the circuit will be immediately opened. In thismanner, there is a power drain only so long as the switch is manuallyheld in a closed position to effect actuation of the awning rotor unit.

Changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts ofmy awning apparatus without departing from the real spirit and purposeofmy invention, and it is my intention to cover by Ymy claims anymodiiied forms of structure or use of mechanical improvements which maybe reasonably included within their scope.l

What I claim as new and desire to obtain by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

An automatic power' system for operating an awning or the likecomprising a rotor unit, a control unit remotely located relative tosaid rotor unit for operating said rotor unit at a position distanttherefrom, said rotor unit including an electric motor having a pair ofWindings and a shaft adapted to effect rotational output drive,conductor means electrically connecting said rotor unit to said controlunit, said conductor means comprising a lirst conductor connected to oneend of one ot said pair of windings, a second conductor connected to oneend of the other of said pair of windings, and a third conductorconnected to the other ends of each of said pair of windings, includinga capacitor having a pair of terminals connected across said first andsecond conductors, a transformer having primary and secondary windingsfor providing power line isolation for said rotor unit relative to saidcontrol unit, a motor reversing,Y switch having a first pair ofcontacts, a second pair of contacts, separate from said first pair ofcontacts and a pair of mechanically coupled switch blades having twocircuit closing positions, means connecting one contact 0f each pair ofcontacts to a different terminal of said capacitor, means connecting theother contact of each pair of contacts to a rst terminal adapted to beconnected to a supply of electric current, means connecting a secondterminal adapted to be connected to a supply of electric current to oneend of said primary winding, means connecting the other end of saidprimary winding to one of said switch blades, means for connecting theother of said switch blades to one end of said secondary winding, meansconnecting the other end of said secondary winding to said thirdconductor, means normally biasing said switch in a circuit openingposition, said switch when closed in one position serving to selectivelyconnect said capacitor in series with one of the windings of said motorand when closed in the second position serving to selectively connectsaid capacitor in series with the other of the windings of said motor,to thereby energize said motor and eect rotation thereof under hightorque in a controlled direction, said means connecting said end of saidsecondary winding to said third conductor including a signal lampadapted to be energized upon operation of the motor to provide at thecontrol unit a continuous indication of motor operation and furtheradapted when said motor is locked in position by mechanical oppositionto the rotational output drive thereof to respond to the increase in thecurrent ow through said third conductor to glow with increased intensityto indicate the stalled condition of said motor.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSl,552,687 Fenster Sept. 8, 1925 1,690,243 Parrish Nov. 6, 1928 2,498,957.lordan Feb. 28, 1950 2,611,888 Richards Sept. 23, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS319,684 Great Britain May 8, 1930

